THE ROAD TO BULGARIA
Written by MOTORBIKE EUROPE Road Writers -
On a motorbike ride along the Black Sea, Bulgaria is a must. Bulgaria borders with Romania, south to Greece and Turkey, directly west to Macedonia and Serbia, and eastward to the Black Sea. In "World War I”, Bulgaria was on the side of the Central Powers, allied with Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.
During the Second World War however, Bulgaria was a member of the Axis powers. In 1944, the country was occupied by the Soviet Union, and so it became a communist People's Republic. In 1990, the Communists where thrown out again, and Bulgaria joined the EU on the 1st of January 2007. You should visit the capital of Sofia, with its 1,370,000 inhabitants, and a wealth of cultural attractions. Bulgaria’s Black Sea coastline is about 354 km long, and you can have a fantastic holiday in the seaside city of Varna.
THE BALKAN MOUNTAINS
Motorbike Europe took a trip through the Balkan Mountains, and it was a great experience. In the Bulgarian Stara Planina mountain range, you’ll find one called called the "Old Mountain". The mountains run from east to west and here you’ll find the peak called Botev, which rises 2,376 metres above sea level. Botev is located approximately in the centre of the 700 km long mountain range, in Central Balkan National Park. The highest peak in the entire Balkan range, is Musala, which rises 2,925 meters above sea level. Musala is located in the Rila Mountains, south of Sofia.
The Balkan Mountains begin at River Timok near the border with Serbia. They divide into several ranges over a gradient of more than 500 km, and end abruptly at Cape Emine on the Black Sea coast. The Balkan Mountains are the main divide, between the rivers Danube north and Maritsa south, with about 20 mountain passes, of which the Shipka pass is the best known. Of the 37 peaks in Bulgaria, there are eight, which reach over 2000 metres above sea level. Take a motorcycle trip to Bulgaria, and find some unforgettable experiences in the Balkans.
